Automatic cut-out and resistance-regulator



(No Model.)

B. B. W. REIGHEL. AUTOMATIC GUT-OUT AND RESISTANCE REGULATOR.

Patented Apr. 14; 1896.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL BERTIIOLD XVALTER REICIIEL, OF GROSS-LIGHTERFELDE, GERMANY,

ASSIGNOR TO THE SIEMENS & HALSKE ELECTRIC COMPANY OF AMER- ICA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OUT AND RESISTANCE-REGULATOR.

SYECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,109, dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed December-27,1895. Serial No. 573,530. (N model.) Patented in Germany July 3,1894, No. 83,276,- in England April 18, 1895,151'0, 7,548; in France April 20,1895,N0.228,298,andin Italy April 25, 1896,11'0. 38,728-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that, I EMIL BERTHOLD lVAL- TER- REIOHEL, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Gross Lichterfelde,

near Berlin, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Cut- Outs and Resistance-Regulators, (Case No. 22,) of which the following is a specification, and for which Letters Patent have been [0 granted in Germany, No. 83,276, dated July 53, 1894; in England, No. 7,518, dated April 1-3, 1895; in Italy, No. 38,728, dated April 25, 1895; in France, No. 223,298, dated April 20, 1895.

r 5 My invention relates to an automatic cutout and resistance-regulator, its object being to increase the safety in the operation of electrical apparatus, particularly in connection with electric railways, by the provision of a :o resistance-regulator which shall act to increase the resistance of the circuit when an abnormal current flows, thus preventing fluctuations, and to completely open the circuit when the current increases above a prede- 5 termined value.

lleretofore it has been the usual practice to employ safety-fuses to protect the currentcarrying conductors in the motor-cars against abnormally large currents. Such safety- ;0 fuses, however, are very unreliable and are particularly deficient in that they melt only after the maximum current has passed for an interval of time. It is thus impossible to pre vent at the start the effects of a sudden short- 5 circuiting in the 1notorcar. Furthermore, the use of fuses is objectionable, as a new fuse must be placed in position after a fuse has been blown. To overcome these objections, I employ an automatic cut-out and re- .0 sistance-regulator, which in the preferred form of my invention comprises a stationary contact, preferably of carbon, against which normally rests a movable contact, preferably of carbon also, the movable contact being .3 mounted upon a pivoted arm, which is connected with the core of a solenoid connected in circuit with the contacts. The passage of an abnormal current through the circuit energizes the solenoid above the normal, thus effecting the separation of the contacts and producing an are which introduces sufficient resistance into the circuit to bring the current back to the normal. The contacts are thus moved to vary the resistance of the circuit and prevent fluctuations of the current. iVhen an abnormally great current passes, the core of the solenoid is drawn down suddenly and with such force that the pivoted lever carrying the movable contact is rocked upon its pivot to throw the movable contact permanently out of engagement with the stationary contact, the circuit thus remaining open until manually restored.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevational View, partially in section, of the cut-out and regulator of my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view illustrating the manner in which the pivoted lever is connected with the core of the solenoid.

Like letters refer to like parts in the two figures.

Upon a standard a is mounted a contact I), which is preferably of carbon. A contact 0, also of carbon, is mounted upon the end of a lever d, pivoted to the standard 70, the lever (Z being provided with an arm 61, adapted to engage a slot 6, carried in the upper end of the core 6 of the solenoid. The conductors of the solenoid g are wound about a support g of wood, a bore being provided through the wood for the insertion of the core 6. The bore is lined with a brass tube f, within which the core is adapted to slide. A standard 2' is mounted upon the top of the support g, adapted to guide the upper end of the core. Normally the blocks Z) and 0 rest in contact, the current passing through the contacts I) c, lever d, support 7c, to the solenoid g.

lVhen thecurrent increases above the nor- 0 mal, the solenoid g attracts the core 6, and thus rocks the lever d to separate the 0011- tacts b c, an are being formed between the contacts which introduces a resistance in the circuit, the value of which depends upon the distance to which the contacts are separated. Sudden fluctuations in the current produced, for instance, by a quick starting of the car are thus prevented. In case the strength of the current exceeds a certain limitas, for instance, in case of a short circuit or where itis attempted to start cars the brakes of which are set the iron core is drawn down so suddenly that the carbon block 0 is thrown into the position indicated in the dotted lines, thus permanently opening the circuit. The lever d will remain in this position until manually restored. The apparatus thus presents means for preventing sudden current fluctuations and counteracts the evil effects of short-circuiting.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a combined resistancaregulator and cutout, the combination with a pair of contacts between which an arc is adapted to be formed upon the separation of the contacts, of an electric circuit to be controlled in which circuit said contacts are included in series, a solenoid or electromagnetic coil included in said circuit responsive to changes of current strength therein and arranged to separate said contacts to a greater or less extent to introduce a resistance into the circuit proportional to the current strength, and means for permanently separating the said contacts upon the passage of a current of a predetermined maximum value to permanently open the circuit, whereby variations of current strength below the predetermined maximum are compensated for by the introduction of an arc resistance while the circuit is permanently opened when the current strength exceeds the predetermined maximum, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic cut-outand resistanceregulator, the combination with the stationary contact I), of a movable contact 0, a pivoted lever d, upon which the contact 0 is mounted, adapted to form an are by raising the contact 0 from engagement with the contact b, a solenoid g energized by the current to be regulated and connected in circuit with the said contacts, a core 6 provided with a slot for receiving the shorter end d of the lever ('6, the movement of the said core thus Varying the arc resistance interposed between the said contacts proportional to the current variation, a pivotal mounting for said lever d, arranged to permit the short arm (1 to pass from one side of the pivotal support to the other, the slot in the end of the core 6 in which the short arm d rests, being constructed to permit the passage of the said arm therefrom when the core is suddenly drawn down; whereby the arm d is rotated to move the contact 0 to the opposite side of the pivotal support and thus permanently separate the contacts; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

EMIL BERTIIOLD WALTER REICHEL.

' WVitnesses:

MARC PIEPER, OSCAR BIELEFELD. 

